What to do When You Find an Alpha
by Kelslyn
Summary: A/B/O AU, Eren/Levi. Alpha!Levi Omega!Eren... slow build with definite smut and possible angst in future chapters. Warnings and notes will be in each chapter. M/M and F/F relationships present.
1. The Introduction

Levi stood in front of the impressive wooden door with a blank, unimpressed look. He rapped his knuckles against it twice and stepped back. He did not straighten his military uniform, because he already knew it was perfectly kempt and his eye did not wander out of boredom. He stood perfectly still as his carriage and driver pulled around to the stables to wait for his business to be over. The door pulled open to reveal a relatively attractive young woman who curtsied when she saw him.

"You're expected, sir. Mister Smith is already in the dining hall. I'll bring you to him." She offered. At Levi's nod of approval she stepped aside to let him in, closed the door, and began leading him to his friend. Levi sniffed the air instinctively and the woman's scent washed over him.

 _Omega._ He thought to himself. As an alpha he had no real reason to scent people, knowing they were all beneath him, but he still did it out of sheer military habit. It was useful knowing who the people around you were.

"Sir, Levi Ackerman is here." The woman said gently when they arrived in the dining hall. Levi immediately noted the absence of Erwin's mate, Petra. He was silently grateful for it. He'd always been envious of Erwin for being mated to her and didn't want to awkwardness of her presence to cloud his mind.

"Yes, thank you. You can go now." Erwin said dismissively. The woman curtsied again and left. "So kind of you to show up." Erwin told his friend in amusement as Levi sat down across from him. The table was easily large enough for twenty people and while Erwin normal sat at the head of the table, neither alpha felt the need to put on a power display in front of the other.

"I had work to do." Levi muttered. "You'd know something about that if you did anything." Erwin laughed.

"Would I still be in uniform if I didn't do anything and had time to change? It's been busy for everyone lately."

"True. War will do that to you. Now, when is the food going to be served? I haven't eaten yet today."

"I'll hurry them along, then." Erwin said, gesturing for a maid that had been waiting silently against a wall to come over. He said something to her in quiet tones and she nodded before floating off, going through a servant's door to, Levi assumed, the kitchen.

Eren growled at one of the other servants and kicked his shoe none-too-gently to get his attention.

"If you can't stop fantasizing about your alpha long enough to serve dinner I'll gladly suggest putting you on stable duty, horse-face." He snapped at Jean.

"Fuck off." The other omega snapped back.

"Oi! Shut up! Erwin wants the food ASAP." Mikasa said, stepping into the kitchen. "Levi's here, so make it good. The midget bastard doesn't miss anything." She spared a quick smile for her brother and then swept out again. The girl always seemed like she was on the move, even when they were kids. It was a wonder the beta's alpha could keep up with her.

"Wait, who's Levi?" Eren asked in confusion. He turned to Jean and raised an eyebrow, seeking an answer.

"You're lucky you haven't been around long enough to meet him. Trust me, you'd rather stay back here instead of serving. Let someone else do it. He's a friend of Erwin's, real short and dark. Super picky, too. I think he might be a clean freak." Jean offered freely. While the two weren't exactly good friends they had a mutual respect for each other and could get along just fine when personal matters weren't involved.

"Then I'll stay back here. It's not like we're stretched super thin serving two people." Eren said with a shrug. If Jean said he didn't want to meet this Levi guy, then he believed him. There would be no point in lying to another servant about something like that.

"Appetizer's done!" Someone called.

"Well get it out!" The head cook yelled back. There was a scramble for a few seconds, plates being put together, the serving staff straightening their uniforms, glasses being brought out, but when it was over the well-oiled machine of domestic servants went into action. They each knew their part as they grabbed things to be brought out and swept through the door to the passageway that led directly into the dining hall.

"I'm gonna go see what he looks like." Eren said, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Stay out of sight." Jean warned. He didn't even bother trying to dissuade the younger brunet.

Eren nodding his understanding and went through the door, up the narrow but sturdy stairs, and down the short hall to peer through the partially open door. For a moment he thought he wouldn't be able to see the guest, but then a servant moved from where she had been bent over, filling his glass, and he got a glimpse of the man.

He was definitely military, sitting in a pristine uniform, and he _was_ dark. He was also probably shorter than Eren. He stifled a giggle at that. An alpha shorter than an omega, who would have thought? All in all he wasn't bad looking, but Eren had only gotten a brief look of his profile before deciding to go back down to the kitchen.

 _Maybe he's totally ugly._ Eren thought with a smirk. He always thought it was funny to meet ugly alphas because it just seemed so odd. Pushing aside that train of thought, he rolled up the white sleeves of his serving uniform and went to help the kitchen staff. They still had two courses to serve. Eren was suddenly glad it was a light dinner and not an entire formal affair.

Levi paused in the middle of his sentence and frowned slightly. He thought he smelled something strange. Not unpleasant exactly, just something he'd never smelled before. That certainly didn't happen often.

"Levi? Are you alright?" Erwin asked. Levi looked around the room without answering, seeing who was there. Was it an attack? Someone from Sina, perhaps? Or Rose? All of the servants looked familiar to him from the previous times he had been to his friend's house and he couldn't see anything perceivably different. He wondered what… it was gone. As quickly as the faint scent came, it left. Levi's frown deepened.

"I thought I smelled something strange." He told Erwin. Erwin frowned in turn.

"I didn't smell anything out of the ordinary. Maybe it's one of the new servants. I got a new head cook and a few others." That didn't sound quite right to Erwin, but he lived in the house and if nothing seemed out of order to him then Levi would drop the matter.

"Perhaps you're right." He said, not believing it.

"Oh _shit_!" Someone yelled just before the next course was to go out. Eren whipped around to see what had happened, thinking of burned food and dropped plates. Instead he saw Sasha bent over, hand stuck between her legs. Someone was holding her shoulders, murmuring gently into her ear as the young woman shook.

"Sasha, are you alright?" Eren asked, hurrying over to his friend. She was crying.

"Burned her hand." The other woman told him.

"Shit, let me see." He demanded. The other omega obediently loosened her hand from where it had been pressed between her thighs and held it out for him. It was shaking quite badly and was an angry shade of red, clearly painful.

"Okay, okay let me think." Eren muttered.

"Next course!" The head cook shouted.

"Fuck, you go serve. Sasha's out for the night." Eren said, pointing at someone else in the white shirt and black pants of a server. He nodded and grabbed some plates, heading out immediately with everyone else. "You, get me bandages, a bucket of water, and some balm." He said, speaking to the woman that had been holding Sasha upright. She nodded and disappeared, off to do as he had asked.

Eren led Sasha to a corner of the kitchen, sitting her down on the floor as he crouched in front of her.

"What the hell were you doing?" He sighed, somewhere between angry and concerned.

"I grabbed a pan that I thought had just been cleaned to hand to a cook, it'd just gotten out of the oven." She explained, trying to control her tears.

"Idiot." He hissed.

"Here you go, dear." The other woman said, dropping off the things he'd asked for before hurrying back to her own duties.

"Okay hold still, this is going to hurt." He warned. She whimpered, and he could smell the sour fear rippling off of her. Someone else whined in response to the strong scent but Eren ignored them and went to work, gently rubbing the balm into her angry and already blistering skin. As the son of a doctor he'd had a lot of practice with this sort of thing and the tears, smell, and quiet sobbing didn't bother him as much as it would have someone else. He dipped his fingers in the water and ran them over her skin soothingly, allowing the balm a moment to settle into her skin before plunging her hand into the water. He quickly rubbed off the remains of the balm, dried her hand with a spare cloth, and applied the balm again. Then he carefully wrapped her hand with the bandages, covering both her hand and the lower half of each of her fingers. Sasha's tears had stopped, but she still sniffled every once in a while and whined in pain when something brushed her hand a little too hard.

"Go sleep it off. You should feel better in the morning, but you'll need to change the bandages. If it starts to smell funny or oozes anything that's not clear you need to find someone to help you right away, alright? Do you need me to walk you to your bed?" Eren offered. Sasha shook her head, cradling her newly bandaged hand to her chest.

"No, I've got it. Thank you." She said, her chin quivering. She stood after a moment and wandered out, hopefully to her bed. Eren watched her for a few seconds before dumping out the soiled water and putting the balm and remaining bandages away.

Then he went back to work in the kitchen, furiously helping everyone he could to make up for Sasha's absence. Though, it wasn't unusual for the woman to sneak off for a few minutes to pillage the larder when no one was looking, so her being gone wasn't exactly a blow to the service.

"Next course!"

"Oh no, I'm not going up there again." Someone hissed. "Get someone else. That man _reeks_ alpha and it's freaking me out! No one else does that! He's looking at everyone. It feels like he's trying to figure out what color your soul is." Eren growled deep in his throat and located the source of the complaint.

"I'll go. Just shut the hell up. If you can't deal with alphas you shouldn't be working here." He snapped impatiently. Normally he wasn't so short, but he was being worn thin and just wanted to get the service over with.

Snatching the plate from the man's hands, he followed the only other server that was going. Dessert didn't need nearly as many people as the other courses. The door to the dining hall was swung open silently and they approached the table with their eyes carefully not meeting the alphas'. Eren went to Erwin's side and cleared away the remains of the main dish and set down the dessert as Erwin waved over a servant that had been up there the entire meal to refill his glass. He was careful not to look at the other alpha, not wanting to see if the stories about him were true. Turning away from Erwin with his job done, Eren began walking away. Suddenly he froze. His nose twitched slightly and he turned back toward the table. The air was thick, heavy with some scent of spice and the outdoors that had never touched his nose before. Without his permission, his eyes rose to meet the one of the short alpha sitting across from Erwin. The steel gray eyes where already on him, boring into his own with an intensity that made Eren's skin prickle. He slowly began to realize that the scent was coming from the alpha and his eyes widened. _Oh fuck._

When the mysterious smell didn't come back for the rest of the course Levi began to dismiss it. He was certain he hadn't imagined it because, while his imagination was quite vivid, it would certainly never play any _tricks_ on him. Perhaps Erwin was right. It may have been a new servant. But the thought tickled the back of his mind, drawing his attention to it occasionally. He'd never reacted to a new scent that way before. Why would he now? It was a strange mess he would investigate later. At the moment, he had more pressing matters on his mind.

"How are the talks with Sina?" He asked.

"Not good. It looks like Sina and Rose are squaring off. Many of our people think they'll end up in war. Some of my acquaintances in Sina seem to agree, though they're far from eager for that outcome." Erwin told him honestly. It's not like the other man wouldn't find out sooner or later.

"I think Rose has been gearing up for this for a lot longer than we think." Levi murmured. Erwin perked up at that, interest flaring.

"What makes you say that?"

"Do you remember the _accidental_ encroachment on Sina's territory two years ago? I have deep suspicion they were looking at environmental layout of that area. Perhaps they've even gone to other areas and that was the only place they got caught. But, this is just suspicion." Levi admitted.

"I've learned to take your suspicions very seriously." Erwin returned, his face thoughtful. He said something else to Levi that the dark alpha didn't hear, his attention very suddenly elsewhere. The scent was back. Servants came in to change courses and he instantly zeroed in on the source of the smell. It was a brunet omega. His eyes were down and his tanned hands were steady as he efficiently went about his work. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to Levi at all. A low, inaudible growl rose up in his chest at that. He thought he knew now what the scent meant, but he needed to test it. Staring at the young omega, he let off his mating scent. Everyone could smell it, of course, but one person would have a very marked reaction to it. There was an audible intact of breath and the omega turned, eyes meeting Levi's instantly. A small smile threatened to curl the man's lip as he watched the omega's eyes widen with the same realization Levi himself had just experienced.

 _Mate._


	2. An Awkward Start

A/N Bit of a longer chapter here, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to post again so hopefully this'll tide you over until I do. I love reviews, they really keep me going and I'd love if you popped by to leave a recommendation or maybe something you'd like me to write. -Lyn

Eren stood very still as the short alpha rose from his seat and took slow, calculated steps toward the omega. Everyone knew that when an alpha looked at you like that you did _not_ run.

"Levi, why are you harassing my staff?" Erwin asked, clearly not worried about it. Levi didn't answer, circling the omega in a predatory way. He sniffed the air several times in order to take in the scent he now knew belonged to his mate and tried to place exactly what it was. It was like sweet grass with the sharp undertone of some exotic flower you instinctually knew was poisonous. It was made even better by the fact that he knew he was the only one who could smell it as sharply as he did.

Eren, meanwhile, was fidgeting nervously. The alpha was letting off waves of possessiveness and intense alpha pheromones that Levi seemed completely unaware of. Eren remembered thinking it was funny that Levi was shorter than him but up close he realized it didn't matter, he took up so much space just with his presence that he didn't seem short at all. Eren let out a small, unbidden whine under the stress of Levi's powerful scent. Levi noticed and immediately attempted to reel in the pheromones that rolled off of him, with only partial success.

"What's your name?" He whispered, as gently as he could with a growl rising in his chest. He didn't want to scare away this precious little omega with his alpha nature when the younger man already looked so freaked out.

"Eren Jaeger." He said, voice tense.

"Eren Jaeger." Levi crooned appreciatively. Eren shuddered against his will and tilted his head to the side instinctively, showing his throat in submission. Levi growled despite his conviction not to and Eren's eyes widened. A slight scent of fear filled the air, mingling with the sweet scent of Levi's mate unpleasantly.

"This is just pornographic." Erwin muttered, having finished his dessert as he watched their interaction. He'd experienced mating as well and after a few moments had known what was happening. His voice brought Levi's mind back to where they actually were and he growled again, less playful and more angrily possessive. He was suddenly very aware of how close this other alpha was to his unbonded omega.

"Settle down. I'm mated." Erwin said, reading the situation perfectly. Levi stared at him, unblinking, as he spoke to a servant.

"Have my carriage brought around. I'm leaving." He said. Eren took a small step back and Levi's head snapped around at the noise, glaring until the omega held still again. "Erwin, I hope you don't find this terribly rude, we'll have to finish our conversation later." Levi told him, not actually sounding like he cared all that much about being rude.

Eren turned to walk back down to the kitchen, quite frankly a bit relieved at the opportunity to get away from the intense weight of the alpha's presence.

"Where are you going?" Levi demanded.

"Back to work?" Eren said. He hated how unsure he sounded. He hated the slight wobble in his voice, the hesitation. Levi quirked an eyebrow.

"Why?" He asked impatiently, genuinely confused. Eren had to push away the urge to roll his eyes and say something sarcastic, unsure how the intense alpha would take it.

"You're going home." He said instead. Levi sighed irritably.

"You're coming with me, moron."

"I'm _what_?" Eren sputtered. Erwin laughed loudly at that and Levi glared at him again.

"Do you have any idea what's happening right now?" Levi asked his blonde friend in disbelief.

"I think you've just been very subtly rejected." Erwin said, knowing it would spark the other alpha's anger. Eren knew it, too. Alphas did not respond well to challenges to their pride.

"No, no that's not what's happening." Eren said quickly. "I'm just going back to work because you're leaving." Levi's eyes narrowed.

"You're my mate, you're coming with me." He said, tone leaving no room for argument. Eren narrowed his eyes, the allure of his new mate wearing thin fast.

"I can't just…"

"Go." Erwin said, waving a hand dismissively. Eren turned to him, surprised. "What? I _do_ remember when I found my mate. Have as much time as you need, just call the house in a day or two." Erwin said easily.

"I…I…" Eren trailed off. He wasn't even sure why he was reaching for excuses to stay. He _was_ curious about the alpha and he wanted to follow him, his body instinctively seeking out the mate he'd just met. Levi could see the conflict on the omega's face and let out his mating scent again in an attempt to subtly affect his decision. Eren almost instantly took a deep breath that he wasn't aware of and Levi smirked.

 _Got him._ He quickly settled his face back into neutrality when Eren looked at him.

"Okay." Eren said slowly. "Okay." He said again, more confidently. He nodded his head as though he had just made a large decision and turned back to the servant door.

"Where are you going?" Levi asked again, exasperated. He could have sworn they just decided he was going with his mate.

"To get my jacket, chill." Eren said. His eyes widened slightly with the realization that he had just back-talked an alpha. He bared his neck for a brief moment before sweeping out of the room.

When Eren got to the kitchen he was greeted with dead silence. Startled, Eren stopped, hand reached out for the jacket that hung on a nearby hook.

"What?" He asked after a moment.

"You just met your mate." Jean said, looking at Eren suspiciously.

"Yea, so? What's it to you, horse-face?" Eren snapped. He was a bit more defensive than usual because of the extra embarrassment brought on by finding his mate in such a public fashion.

"Eren!" One of the girls squealed. "Oh my god you found your mate!" Eren felt a slow, shy grin spread across his face with a blush chasing after it.

"I did, didn't I?" With that simple sentence the kitchen erupted into laughs and 'congratulations' and suddenly Eren gasped.

"And he's waiting for me! I've got to go." He said, grabbing his jacket and sprinting out another door, providing a quicker path to the front. He tugged on his jacket as he went and slowed down when he saw that the front entry way was empty. Frowning, he went back to the dining hall and stuck his head in.

"Are you ready?" He asked. Levi looked up from where he had been speaking with Erwin in hushed tones.

"Yes, one moment." He said something else to Erwin and the large blonde clapped a hand on his friend's back, laughing loudly. Levi scowled and made his way to where Eren was waiting.

"Let's go." He said simply, the alpha already comfortable with taking a more dominant and leading role with Eren. The omega obediently followed and they stepped outside into the night.

The carriage was very nice to Eren. There were lanterns on the outside and a single lantern hanging from the ceiling inside, bathing everything in a gentle light. The driver had helped Eren into the carriage, making Eren smile and quietly thank him, while Levi had simply gotten in on his own, the driver knowing his aversion to assistance in such mundane things. Once inside, the two sat across from each other and stayed silent as the carriage began its journey.

"So… we're going to your house?" Eren asked awkwardly. Levi had been staring at him unblinkingly and it was a bit concerning.

"Yes. How old are you?" The question catches Eren off guard and he was suddenly draw to the fact that Levi looked more than slightly older than him.

"I'm twenty one, and you?" Eren asked, curious as to how big the age gap was, exactly.

"Thirty." He said shortly. It wasn't rude, just…concise. He was answering the question and that was it.

 _He's not very talkative with me, but with Erwin he seemed very friendly. Maybe he's nervous too._ Eren thought to himself. In these close confines he had a better look at Levi and now that he was calmer he could actually appreciate and comprehend what he saw.

Levi was very pristine. It was the only word to describe it. His uniform was crisp and gold embellishments gleamed. His perfectly straight back didn't touch the soft seats and his perfectly polished boots gleamed in the faint light.

"How long have you worked for Erwin?" Levi asked.

"Three months."

"Ah, that explains it. I've been in the field." Levi said. Eren furrowed his brow.

"Explains what?" He asked.

"I smelled you before we met, but I didn't recognize it. I've been in the field for the past four months, which explains why I haven't met you before." Levi informed him after the gentle prompting.

"In the field. For the military, right?" Eren said.

"No." Levi responded dryly. Eren narrowed his eyes. Was he messing with him or was he trying for humor? Eren couldn't tell and Levi continued after a moment as though his first response had never been spoken. "Yes, I was gone for military reasons. Normally I am not sent into the field unless I specifically ask to be included in something due to my actual job requirements."

"And what _is_ your actual job?" Eren asked, cupping his chin in his hand and resting his elbow on his knee. He was genuinely interested in this strange alpha.

"I can't tell you. It's top secret and very few people know everything that I do. I tell anyone that asks that I'm a consultant."

"So why didn't you just tell me that?" Eren asked the other curiously. If he wasn't going to tell the brunet what he did, why not continue on with the lie? Why make him aware there even was a lie? Levi didn't answer his question and merely looked at the omega for a few minutes, the sound of horses, turning wheels, and jangling harnesses their only respite from total silence.

"Why were you working for Erwin?" Levi asked suddenly.

"I needed a job and he was hiring?" Eren said uncertainly. It seemed pretty straight-forward to him.

"I mean how did you end up a domestic servant?" Levi clarified when he realized that was the extent of the answer he was getting.

"Oh, well omegas as young as I am don't have a lot of options, do we? We could join the military, like you did, but our training is longer because we have to be taught not to submit to every alpha we come across and how to actually fight. Most omegas instinctually run to find help rather than stand still in danger. There are other jobs, sure, but most put priority on alphas and mated betas. The only jobs that actually seek out omegas are domestic things." He said, his voice steeped in an emotion even he couldn't identify. Longing, maybe? Looking at the careful blankness of Levi's face he quickly continued.

"Not that it's all bad! I'm not complaining! Betas are normally pretty good about being careful around us. They help if they can because they can be mated to an alpha or an omega and know what it's like being bossed around. I know some alphas that take special pride in helping omegas, too. I have this friend, Mikasa, she's a beta and her mate used to walk home her omega friend every day to keep other alphas off of her." Eren realized about halfway through the rant that he was rambling but he couldn't seem to stop himself and only noticed once he did that Levi's face hadn't changed once the entire time in the carriage.

"Ah, I bet this is all pretty boring." Eren said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Do you have an alpha like that?" Levi asked. Like all of his other questions, it was unexpected and his face revealed nothing about the reason for the question.

"I've really only got one alpha I'd call a friend. Her name's Sasha and she works with me for Erwin. She's too gentle for the army and other alphas don't like her very much. That being said, she's terrifying when she's pissed." Levi made a little humming noise to indicate that he understood and they lapsed into silence again.

Levi resisted the urge to cross his legs and bounce his knee with nervous energy. He wanted to know more. He wanted to ask the questions buzzing around in his head but he also didn't want to scare his new mate off. He had to carefully keep his face neutral in case his expression gave away something he didn't want it to. He'd already said more than he intended when he told Eren more about his job than the normal lie. He wasn't even sure why he'd said that much. He also wasn't sure why it bothered him so much that another alpha was friend with his omega. Eren hadn't insinuated that the alpha was interested in him at all, and even if she was Levi was confident he could threaten her off.

Levi waited for the younger man's questions, sure he had more. You didn't meet your mate often, and he was bound to want to know more than the general things he'd already asked. Instead the brunet looked out the window, his left hand absently stroking the cloth of the seat. Levi looked out the window himself and wondered how much longer it would take for them to get to his home. It had never seemed this long before.

Knowing that he had work to do the next morning, Levi thought about what he should do about his new mate. He didn't want him to just keep going around like he always did. Now that Eren and Levi had found each other Eren's mating scent was going to be coming off of him 24/7 until they bonded, attracting other alphas. As much as Levi would love to do it, he doubted he could just say 'bond with me' and have Eren actually listen. Especial during their first meeting. Levi sighed harshly. This was going to be very difficult.

"Are you alright?" Eren asked, concerned by the sudden sigh.

"Fine." Levi replied. The carriage finally stopped and after a mere moment the driver opened the door.

Eren watched as Levi exited the carriage first and followed him, allowing the driver to help him again. He gave the driver another smile and quiet thanks before stepping onto the ground and looking up at where they had been deposited. Eren immediately gaped up at the house. It was huge. Way bigger than anything one person could ever need. After a moment of awe the omega realized his alpha had kept walking and was at the door, being let in by a maid. He hurried to catch up and the maid's eyes widened when she saw him, clearly knowing he was an omega. He gave her and uncertain smile and she quickly schooled her face, trying not to offend an apparent guest of her master's. Eren pretended not to notice the several long sniffs that the maid took when he passed her. There was no way she could ignore the fact that both he and Levi were giving off mating scents. Eren felt both an irrational anger and embarrassment rise up in him. Levi paused and glanced at Eren over his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Eren smiled and berated himself slightly. With all of this happening he hadn't been controlling his scents as well as he should have. He was basically a giant walking billboard displaying all of his emotions.

"I'm fine, sorry. Side effects of my suppressants." Eren lied. Suppressants _could_ cause mood swings and lack of scent control but his hardly ever did. Sometimes they did make him really sick, though.

"Ah." Levi said before turning back around and continuing on his way. Eren followed him after a moment, unsure where they were going.

After a minute Levi walked through an open door and sat down on a comfortable looking brown couch. Eren sat in a chair across from him, a small coffee table between them. He could have sworn he saw a flash or irritation of Levi's face but it was gone almost as soon as he thought he saw it.

"So…we're mates." Eren said. Levi smirked.

"I'm glad you figured that out." Eren gave an awkward smile at the joke and was silent for a moment as Levi watched him carefully.

"Tell me about yourself." Eren tried, thinking it strange that he was leading the conversation instead of the alpha.

"You know the general things already."

"Okay… then let's just go back and forth with questions." He suggested. Levi nodded after a moment and Eren began. "What's your favorite color?"

"Green. How many sexual partners have you had?" Eren's face was instantly set aflame with a bright blush and he rubbed the back of his neck again.

"How, jumping right in there, aren't you?" He chuckled nervously. Levi really didn't seem bothered by how personal that question was and Eren briefly wondered if he was always so direct. "Uh, are we counting one-night stands?"

Levi felt his lips try to twitch downwards with the necessity of such a clarification. Had the omega had a lot of one-night stands? Levi had a feeling that he'd be hunting down a lot of alphas.

"Yes." Levi decided. He watched Eren's eyes flick to the ceiling for a moment as he thought and he looked back at the alpha as he answered.

"Four." Eren finally said. "My turn, how many sexual partners have _you_ had?" Levi thought he could hear some jealousy in the younger man's voice, but perhaps he only imagined it.

"Two. How many of them were one-night stands?"

"Well, I'm not sure what your definition of a one-nighter is but mine is someone I slept with for my heat without having a romantic relationship. By that definition, three of them were. Do you like your 'consulting' job?" Eren asked, using air quotes.

 _So most were for his heat. I suppose that's not as bad._ Levi thought to himself.

"I like it well enough. It's important work. Were all of your partners alphas?"

"You're really stuck on me having sex. No, they weren't. Two betas, an omega, and an alpha. The alpha was actually the only one I was dating. Why are you so stuck on my relationships?"

"You're mine now." Levi said bluntly. "I want to know how many people I need to convince you're no longer available." Eren's eyes widened fractionally, probably in shock, and Levi allowed a moment to watch him before asking his question.

"You said they were for you heat, but you also said you were on suppressants, how does that work?" Levi asked. He instantly smelled a flood of embarrassment and wondered if his heightened awareness of the other would last or if it was because they had just met.

"I've got issues with suppressants, they give me some pretty bad headaches the closer to a heat I get and I can get super sick sometimes. So in the beginning I would just not take them occasionally. I figured it was easier to rent a motel room for a few days than be curled around my toilet bowl." Eren said with a shrug. "How do you like your tea?"

"Black. Who's the alpha you were with?"

"His name is Bertolt Hoover. Do you sleep with your door open or closed?"

"Closed. Should I be concerned about this man?" Eren gave Levi a dark look that said he was done entertaining those sort of questions. The short man decided that the rest of his questions could wait and was about to ask something else when Eren answered.

"No. He joined the military, went to the field, and I haven't heard a thing from him since. I don't even know if he's even alive or in Maria or what. If he suddenly decides to get back to me _he'll_ have to worry about _me_." Eren growled. Anger and irritation were rippling off him in waves and Levi instinctively let out a soothing scent to counteract his mate's sudden upset response.

Eren took a deep breath and let it out, somehow much calmer than before. He found that the room suddenly seemed flooded with a subtle smell he couldn't identify but found pleasant. He glared at the alpha sitting across from him suspiciously.

"What are you doing?" Levi gave the smallest hint of a shrug before responding.

"You were upset, I calmed you down."

"Alphas can do that? It's never happened before." Eren said skeptically.

"Well I'd hope not. You don't know very much about mates, do you? We can calm each other and communicate in ways we can't with anyone else." Levi explained. Eren bristled slightly at the implication he didn't even know what was happening between them, but truth be told he really didn't. A clock in the corner of the sitting room chimed several times and Eren glanced at it instinctually, doing a double take.

"Oh shit, I've got to get home." He said, surging to his feet. "Uh, it was great meeting you, I'll see you soon."

"Why, exactly do you have to leave?" Levi asked, rising to his feet as well. Eren almost rolled his eyes but held them through sheer willpower.

"I live on my own since my sister moved in with her mate, I need to work two jobs. I work for Erwin from noon to ten at night and I have another house I work in from seven in the morning to eleven." Levi seemed to think about it for a moment and shrugged.

"Quit."

"Levi," Eren sighed. ", I have a house to pay for. I need to eat. I can't just quit."

"Live here." The alpha countered, confidence radiating from him easily.

"You're awfully trusting of someone you just met. I could be a murderer."

"So could I, but you trusted me enough to come to my house without kicking and screaming. Besides, you're my mate. You couldn't kill me even if you wanted to."

"We're not even bonded!" Eren protested. This was just too much for him. You don't meet your mate, drop your life, and go live with them after seeing them once.

"Stay the night and I'll bond you." Levi said simply. Eren felt himself flush again.

"Absolutely not. I'm going home and I'm going to work tomorrow." Eren informed Levi, not really leaving him any room to argue. Levi raised an eyebrow.

"You're awfully outspoken for an omega." He said dryly.

"And you're my mate. Good luck." Eren responded with a smirk. Levi glanced at the clock and sighed.

"Alright, I'll walk you home. I'd offer for my driver to take you but he's off for the rest of the night."

"No need. I'm fully capable of walking myself. Goodnight, Levi." With that Eren turned and walked back out to the front door and left the house, going to his own home. It took about forty five minutes and he made it home just after one in the morning.

Levi watched the receding figure of his mate through a window and thought about what was going to happen. He _was_ going to see him again the next day but realized a bit belatedly that he had no idea where his other job was or where the brunet lived.

 _You dumbass._ Levi growled internally. After a moment of berating himself for not thinking ahead, he decided that it couldn't be that hard to track down the omega. He knew one of his employers, after all. The promise to find Eren the next day in his head, Levi retired to his bed. The day had taxed him more than he'd liked to admit, even to himself.


	3. Working Doesn't Go With Wanting

A/N Seriously guys, I love you. I've gotten a few reviews and follows and faves and it's so cool. Thanks for the support. Keep it coming and don't be afraid to drop suggestions or constructive criticism for me!

–Lyn

Eren was awake far before he needed to be. He had barely slept, if he was being honest with himself. His mind was plagued by thoughts of steel eyes and cool questions spoken with a voice as cold as metal. In short he was fucked. He showered with cold water to try and wake himself up a bit before dressing methodically. He tried to imagine how Levi dressed himself. Eren imagined that it had to be very carefully to manage to look so well put together. Shaking his head at himself for thinking such things, Eren slipped on his shoes and left the house. He normally carried a second set of clothes with him, but if he didn't need to go to Erwin's house for a few days there was no need for the other uniform. After a brief moment of consideration, it was too early to go to his first house, Eren decided on a course and began walking.

The trip only a few minutes, leaving Eren on the sidewalk in front of Annie's quiet café. He let himself in the front door, knowing it was open even at this ungodly hour.

"I'm here!" He called out. His voice sounded as tired as he felt.

"Eren! Where have you _been_?" Mikasa shouted back. He smiled to himself and began making his way to the back room but was met by his sister before he could get there. She pulled him into a hug and then stepped back, looking at him suspiciously.

"Where have you been?" She asked again, less playful and more concerned. Eren rolled his eyes at her.

"I was with Levi." Mikasa furrowed her brow.

"Why would you be with that angry little midget?" Suddenly Eren remembered that his sister left work before he did and therefore would have missed the entire goings-on of the night before. He took a deep breath.

"Let's get Annie and have a talk." He suggested.

Annie was grinning from ear to ear, holding one of Mikasa's hands tightly in her excitement. Mikasa just looked angry.

"You're telling me that your mate is an obnoxious prick?" She growled.

"Oh, hush and just be happy for him! Your brother found his mate!" Annie said, shaking Mikasa gently. Mikasa looked at her in disbelief.

"You're okay with this?" She asked incredulously.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Annie asked in return. Eren watched them bicker for a few moments, sipping the tea Annie had given him and trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible. His sister was intense when she was angry and he had no doubt in his mind that her alpha could be just as bad. His mind drifted to other things when he heard an expectant pause, registering only because of the change in noise level.

"I'm sorry?" Eren said, sue he'd just missed something. Annie rolled her eyes.

"I _said_ how do you like him? Is he cute?" She asked.

"He's hot as fuck." Eren sighed, freezing when he realized what he'd just said. Annie squealed with delight and Mikasa glared at him unhappily. Eren glanced at the clock they had hanging on their wall and gasped.

"Oh man, I have to get to work!" He shouted, standing quickly and dashing out the door with a hurried 'goodbye'. He sprinted down the street to the house he was supposed to work at in just a few minutes. It wasn't far away, and he got there just in time to begin.

Levi let out a low growl and thumped the end of his pen against the papers in front of him. He wasn't in the mood for this shit. He'd much rather be hinting down his new mate. He could feel the thin connection they had and he had no doubt in his mind that if he wanted to sniff out the little omega that connection would help…

"Levi, are you paying attention?" Pixis sighed. Levi dragged his gaze up to look at the king of Maria and shrugged.

"I guess not, sorry." He wasn't sorry and his voice reflected that.

"Under different circumstances I would give you a week or so off to pine for your new mate, but we're preparing for war and deciding whose side we need to be on, so I need your head here." The king said, not in an unfriendly way.

"I've already given you my opinion on the matter. We should join Sina." He had more to add, the beginnings of a plan, but held his tongue. There were people in the meeting that genuinely thought he was just a consultant. The look on the king's face showed that he understood this and Levi groaned internally. That meant there would be _another_ meeting with fewer people. He curled a fist underneath his chin and watched the others bicker, some of them arguing in agreement with Levi and some of them arguing wrong. Levi scribbled something down on the top paper and his friend leaned over to look at it before Levi glared at her.

"Mind your own business, shitty glasses." Levi growled to Hange. She giggled. He was already slightly upset with her. He'd informed her that he'd found his mate and almost instantly she spread the news to every higher up in the entire military. Levi didn't appreciate his private business being made public and yet Hange didn't seem to care.

"Aww, are you still mad? You can't stay angry forever, you know. I want to meet him."

"I can absolutely stay angry forever." He retorted sourly. "And you're not meeting him. You'll corrupt him with your disgusting personality." She frowned.

" _I'll_ corrupt him? You're a short ass angry old man and you think he needs to worry about _me_?" She asked incredulously before grinning and clapping her hands together lightly. "I can't wait to meet him." Pixis glared at them and Erwin stifled a laugh. Levi put his eyes back on the papers and wrote something else. He really should pay attention but thinking of Eren didn't make it any easier. Levi wondered briefly if Eren was thinking of him, if the little omega was just as distracted as he was. Snorting, he went back to his work.

 _Unlikely_. He thought to himself. The little brat didn't even seem to want to be near his alpha and Levi thought he left too easily the night before to actually pine after the older man. He had to resist growling at that thought. He wanted the young man to pine for him just as he found himself pining after the omega.

Eren stared at the flowers in front of him and realized he'd cleaned the vase three times. He was still thinking about the damn alpha. The stupid, dark, over-bearing, gorgeous alpha that had marked him as his mate just the day before. He really needed to focus. He already had enough for the upcoming rent but he still couldn't afford to slack. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and totted the bucket of soapy water to another room.

 _I wonder if he's thinking about me._ Eren thought, pausing and smiling at the thought before shaking his head. He doubted that the serious alpha would think about Eren. Based on the time of day, Eren guessed he would be at work and totally focused on his 'consulting'. Eren hummed slightly as he worked and allowed his mind to wander. He couldn't wait to see Levi again.


	4. Making Friends

"You must be Eren." An excited, bubbly woman said as she stood, brushing herself off from where she's been sitting in front of Eren's house. His eyes widened slightly.

"Um, who are you?" He asked uncertainly. He was still in his uniform, but the top few buttons were undone and he had been preparing to go home and immediately change into something else.

"Oh, how rude of me! I'm Hange, a friend of Levi's. It's so nice to meet you! He told me all about you today while we were in a meeting together." Eren lit up immediately and grinned.

"You're friends with Levi?" She nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! Although, I may have exaggerated a bit when I said he talked about you. He actually avoided most of my questions." She said with a frown. There was silence for a moment before Eren remembered they were standing in front of his house.

"Oh, let's go inside. What kind of tea do you like?"

"Anything is fine, but I prefer oolong."

"So do I." Eren said with a grin. "Milk, no sugar." Hange slung an arm over his shoulders as he unlocked the door and grinned down at him.

"We'll get along wonderfully."

"So you're telling me that you and Levi met because of an experiment gone wrong?" Eren clarified, eyes wide in astonishment.

"Oh, yes. I messed up so badly I had soldiers from Sina chasing me for miles." The crazed woman cackled. "Turns out firearms experiments in a warzone are a bad idea. But anyway, Levi comes in out of nowhere with a gun in his hand and the scariest look I've ever seen. He fired three shots into the air and scared the soldiers so bad the turned tail and ran back the way they came."

"Wow. But I thought you were a scientist? What experiments could have required firearms?"

"Ah, I want to hear about you, though!" She said, waving her hand dismissively. "What do you do? What is your favorite color? Do you like flowers?"

"I clean for one house and I'm a server for another, my favorite color is green, and I like gardens with flowers, but I'm not as much of a fan of bouquets." Eren said, pouring himself another cup of tea and silently asking if Hange wanted more as well. She nodded and he poured some for her as well, stirring in milk for the both of them.

"Why are you living here by yourself? It seems a bit big just for one person."

"My sister and I both lived here before she found her mate. It just seemed…wrong to leave. I suppose I'm going to eventually, though. It'll be different living with Levi." Eren murmured. Hange paused, cup barely touching her lips. "What?" Eren asked after he registered her shock. A slow grin crept across her pretty face and he felt wary for a moment.

"You said you're going to live with Levi." Eren's face immediately flushed with embarrassment.

"I didn't mean to assume he'd be okay with it, I mean of course I'll stay here if…"

"Eren." Hange said, cutting him off. "I guarantee you, he really wants you to move in. He's just not very good at expressing himself." Eren rolled his eyes at that and took a sip of his tea.

"I didn't get that feeling yesterday when he was walking around like any other alpha I've ever met." Eren said. Hange gave a sympathetic smile.

"I know. I'm one of very few betas where I work and the constant pissing contests get to be a bit much." She admitted. "But I promise that once you get to know him he's more than just your average alpha." Eren gave a small, almost shy smile and nodded.

"I kind of got that feeling." He said with a tiny smile. Hange looked at him blankly for a moment before squealing happily.

"Oh my god you're so freaking adorable!" Eren blushed again and hid it by drinking deeply from his cup. "Oh, we should probably get going." She added, almost as an afterthought. Eren furrowed his brow.

"Going? Where?" Eren asked in confusion.

"Oh, I told Levi I would come get you and bring you to his house since he would be in the meeting for a while. It would have ended…an hour ago." She decided after a glance at the clock on the wall. Eren bit his lip and glanced at the door for no particular reason.

"We could stay if you don't want to see him." Hange suggested coyly.

"No!" Eren said too quickly. Hange grinned and he smiled back despite himself. "I mean, I'd like to see him if he's not busy."

"For you? I guarantee he's never busy."


	5. First Kisses

Levi glanced at the clock on the wall again. Damn thing kept ticking. The pistol on his right hip weighed heavily, reminding him that if he really wanted to he could stop the ticking. His hand twitched toward it but before the movement could be completed a maid walked into the sitting room.

"Sir? Hange is here for you. She has a guest with her." The maid said.

"Let them in." Levi ordered with a slight nod. She gave a half-bow and stepped back out. The dark-haired alpha took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. It would absolutely not help their budding relationship to seem agitated on their second meeting, even though he was.

"Leeviii." Hange called out in a singsong voice. Levi felt his mood sour immediately. Speaking of being agitated….

The bouncy beta was dragging Eren behind her, holding onto his hand tightly and grinning madly. Levi's eyes instantly went to his omega and he felt himself soften slightly. The brunet was blushing slightly and they looked at each other for a mere moment before Eren looked away, blush flaring.

"You're checking him out." Hange accused good-naturedly. Levi turned to glare at her.

"You're late." He retorted.

"Sorry, that was my fault." Eren said bashfully. "We started talking before she could tell me you were waiting."

"As admirable as that is, I have no doubt that it was shitty glasses that did it. She has a knack for pissing me off." Levi growled. Eren's eyes widened and he looked between the two when Hange started laughing, obviously not taking it seriously at all.

"You have a lifetime with him, I've got to settle for what I can get." She explained, plopping down onto a couch after finally letting go of Eren's hand.

Levi felt himself perk up at that. She was right. He had this little one for the rest of their lives. He looked at Eren as the omega sat down too and wondered if Eren was as excited as he was. He had to be, right?

"I learned so much about Eren while we were talking. Did you know that… ah, nevermind." Hange said with a cheeky grin. Levi raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're really going to bait an alpha?" He asked skeptically. Hange waved one hand slightly, as though dismissing what he'd said.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you." Eren looked at her, a bit worried, and Levi had to take a moment to wonder what they'd talked about. "Did you know that Eren is totally okay with moving in with you? Like more than okay, actually. He's already decided that it's going to happen." She said in a tone that you'd normally only use for secrets.

"Hange!" Eren gasped, face fully aflame with an intense blush.

"What?" She responded, genuinely looking confused. Levi, ignoring her, leaned forward and placed his face in one hand, his elbow on his knee as he grinned.

"So you've finally figured that out, then?" He asked. Eren paused and looked at him, eyes wide. "I wasn't going to let my mate live somewhere else." Hange giggled wildly at the shocked expression on Eren's face and he glared at her.

"You knew that he'd say that." Eren accused. Hange winked, unable to stop laughing long enough to respond. Eren pouted and crossed his arms. Levi couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips at the adorable sight. He stood and walked over to the omega, crouching in front of him slightly and gently placing on hand on the side of his face.

"Ah, don't look so disappointed." He said with the smallest of smiles on his face. Eren leaned into his hand ever so slightly and they looked at each other for a moment, content to just sit there, before Hange sighed heavily and Levi's eyes hardened again. He'd almost forgotten about the little interruption.

"Hange, leave." He demanded, eyes never leaving his mate as he took away his hand. He wasn't exactly one for public displays of affection. Eren almost looked disappointed at the lack of contact.

"How rude!" Hange said, but it lacked bite. "I need to head home, anyway. I've got some lab reports to finish. You two have fun!" She said, standing and waving as she headed back out. Then, with the sound of a closing door, Eren and Levi were left alone together.

They were silent for a few moments and Levi glanced at the clock again. Unlike earlier, it seemed to have raced by. It was late afternoon already.

"Would you like a snack? I'm a bit hungry but it's still too early for dinner." Levi said, explaining what he really didn't mean to. The omega seemed to do that to him. Make him talk when he didn't want to and make him forget what was around him. Levi decided he'd have to ask Erwin about it later.

"Sure, I could eat." Eren murmured.

"Ymir." Levi said, just a little more loudly than if he were speaking to someone in the room.

"Yes, sir?" She asked, appearing instantly. Eren wasn't startled. He knew that there were passages just for servants and that at least one would always be nearby.

"Go ask the kitchen to make us something light to eat." He told her. She nodded and promptly left.

Levi noticed the ticking of the clock.

"So a consultant needs a gun?" Eren asked coyly. Levi smirked at him and sat on the couch next to him instead of taking up his previous position.

"You and I both know I'm not a consultant." He said.

"Yes, but what are you then? Oh! Let me guess!" Eren looked at the amused alpha contemplatively for a moment before smirking triumphantly. "You're some sort of assassin, aren't you?"

"Nope." He responded with a smirk.

"Ninja." Eren tried.

"Nope."

"A chef with such badass soup that people come after you for the recipe." Levi couldn't have kept back the barks of laughter if he wanted to. Eren smiled, pleased with himself.

"No, I'm not some wickedly awesome chef." Levi said when he'd finally calmed down enough to speak.

"Sir." Ymir said, announcing her presence before setting down a tray on one of the end tables. It had some delicate looking pastries and small, dainty sandwiches. Levi nodded his permission for her to leave and took one of the sandwiches and ate it in a few bites.

"Would you like one?" He asked Eren, belatedly realizing that he hadn't reached for one.

"Please." He said with a small smile. Levi indulgently handed him one and watched as Eren took small bites, savoring the flavor.

~He's so cute.~ Levi thought to himself. Eren looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Holy shit he'd said that out loud. He opened his mouth to apologize but Eren shrugged and spoke before he could.

"I think you're attractive, too. I'm grateful for that. I'd hate to be mated for life to someone I didn't want to look at." Eren said with a cocky smirk. It made Levi want to kiss him until he went back to looking flustered. He vaguely wondered if Eren would look that cocky while Levi was fucking him into the mattress.

"So what do you actually do, then?" Eren asked, oblivious to Levi's perverted thoughts.

"I'll tell you later." Levi decided. Eren made a face but didn't push it. He leaned across Levi to snag another snack and Levi stiffened at the proximity. Unable to resist, he lightly kissed Eren's cheek. Eren froze and turned his head to look at Levi without moving from his position.

"Sorry." Levi said.

"If you wanted to kiss me you could have asked. I would have said yes." Eren said, amused.

"Can I kiss you?" Levi asked.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't." Eren breathed. Levi cupped his jaw lightly and kissed him gently. Eren broke apart for a second and swung a leg over Levi's lap to straddle him before leaning back in and connecting their lips again. Levi gripped his hips and dragged him forward on his lap, closer to Levi. Eren moaned quietly and ran a hand through Levi's hair, making the smaller man shudder appreciatively.

"If you don't want me to take you right here we'd better stop." Levi warned, reluctantly ending the intense kiss.

"Who said I don't want to?" Eren purred.


End file.
